Hopefully you’ve all had a very blessed Christmas Celebration. During these last months I’ve had some health issues that were rather difficult for us. But I’m always learning how faithfully God teaches us through these times bringing us peace as we put our hope in Him, so I’m hoping you are also doing well. At the beginning of the year 2023 we set a goal “asking God to bring 200 people to faith and to be baptized”. My close friends said to me that this would be impossible in our culture.

Yet as of this last day 208 people have been baptized causing us to be so thankful to God and to you for your prayers–He answered our prayers. And now for the year 2024 please join us in prayer for the new vision we received from the Lord. That is, that each of these believers will grow in their faith in our Lord Jesus and share the Gospel with others around them.

The attack on the Amasya Church

As God amazes us with such wonderful answers to prayer, Satan gets rather upset and does his best to steal peace from us. While we were worshiping in the City of Amasya someone began shouting at us “You’ve killed Muslims, I am part of the military here and will do everything to get rid of you.” Then he threw huge stones at our church then ran away. He came back again and even in front of the police threw stones into our church breaking windows.

He was arrested by the police and taken away. We know that God protects us as you pray for us and send helpful gifts.

The attack on the Sinop Church

Again in the City of Sinop some nationalistic young people placed a “Nationalistic Symbol” at the front of our church and took pictures that they put on social media showing their disastrous motive. We informed the authorities nearby and they sent Policemen to protect our building keeping us safe while we worshiped

The new church our Lord started in the City of Tokat

Yes, these disastrous events happen while God performs amazing miracles as other people come to faith. In a city about 230 km from Samsung, and about 110 km away from the Amasya Church, a number of people in the City of Tokat were following our online Bible lessons. They put their faith in Jesus so in Tokat a small group has begun worshiping together.

Just 2 weeks after beginning these weekly worship times with this group while we were still in Samsung finishing the service there and saying ‘Goodbye’ to each other. A new contact came to me saying, “Hello, I’ve been viewing your social media programs, and I’ve picked up a New Testament and read it. I’ve put my faith in Jesus, and come to worship with you.

I’m a government official from Tokat which is 220 km away.” It’s as if the Lord was indeed working with us to begin a new fellowship in that city. I said, “I’m in agreement with you completely.” This person came to faith in Jesus without knowing any other Christian person, like the Samaritan woman at the well.

He just looked deeper for God’s Truth that was the most satisfying to him, and God is answering prayers in these wonderful ways.

A Commander interested in our Lord Jesus due to a convicted prisoner’s request

In days gone by we used to receive messages from some prisoner in Jail about once a month, but now the postman is delivering something from a prisoner each week. We remember how your encouragement to go to prisons and leave New Testaments there was suggested. Since then more NTs have been requested and one convicted prisoner who was transferred to another prison with his NT shared it with the prisoners there, and they requested more NTs.

After sending them we heard of how the prisoners were reading the NT and coming to faith. This last story has been so encouraging to me. One prisoner in a prison about 180 km away from Samsung was given permission to call our church phone number everyday for 15 days asking me questions about the NT. He claimed to believe God’s Word and asked me to come visit him.

I said that I’d love to come, but he’d have to ask permission from the prison authorities, honestly telling them that Orhan, the pastor of the Samsun Church, wants to visit him. Without being sure I’d be accepted there, I couldn’t risk traveling 180 km to be prohibited from entering the prison to see this person spending gas money for nothing, etc.

This prisoner wanted me to come so badly that he did everything to tell the authorities about me yet didn’t tell me about it all. One morning at about 9am someone called me asking me to come to the “Police Station” near me here. Naturally, my first reaction was to be concerned that maybe there has been some complaint against our church, so I asked God to take away my fear and shared this information with my wife so that if I couldn’t return to her after a while she should call our lawyer.

I entered the Police Station wondering why, saying, “I’m Orhan whom you’ve called.” Two policemen asked me to wait for the Commander, and naturally this frightened me. Then I was invited to come into the office of the Commander with another officer.

The Commander said to him, “Will you leave us alone for a little while please?” He offered me some tea or coffee and then began sharing how he used to be in control of the area around our church and noticed the free NTs. He said he took one secretly at night and began reading it, finding words that brought him such comfort. Many times I wanted to visit the church, he said, but in my work situation it was impossible, but some prisoner has asked for you to visit him and wrote to the prosecutor's office and he asked me to connect with you about it. He showed me the letter from the prisoner and said he asked for the Pastor of the Samsun Church to be called for an interview with them.

This officer had a number of questions about the Bible so we talked about Jesus and His ways together for about an hour and I became so relaxed and thankful. He then said he’d attend our Christmas events, so as a civilian he came to our Christmas Celebration. Look how God uses prisoners to get the Gospel to people we don’t think are interested in the Gospel. We are so thankful for your prayer support and for these opportunities.

A Syrian lady comes to faith in Jesus after coming for help

Forgive me for sharing another long story but it’s another godly event. You will see a Syrian lady in the pictures below. She came to Samsun together with her children while her husband remained in Syria.

She learned about our church from other Syrian refugees who told her that “This Church helps people a lot”. When she came to our church, she told others of her experience. “The people in the church came to me and asked how they could help me. They noticed my children and said that they help Muslims, Jews, and Christians in need.

I was invited to go and pick up what I need.” When she was at the church no one asked her why she came but invited her to take what she needed and the children could enjoy loving kindness from the leaders at the church. After the worship time she was offered a meal of delicious soup and she wondered why this was so freely given. Are these people crazy? She wondered.

Why do they spend their time and money helping us like this? Are they tricking us into becoming Christian? Yet every Sunday she and the children returned to enjoy the goodness of the church’s loving service to supply their needs, and she even took the minibus from the church. She learned of God’s love for her in each of the messages and the hymns of praise were full of God’s goodness, but after returning home she felt rather depressed.

So she decided to pray to Jesus and ask Him for deliverance. Then one Sunday at church she began to weep and repent of how slowly she came to faith in Jesus, who knew her from birth and wanted to give everlasting life to her and her family. So she decided that her reason to come to church was to feed on God’s Goodness more than on the food they provide.

. Please pray with us for this dear lady that she grow in her faith and no longer fear the opposition she may encounter. May she be rescued from the difficulties that she struggles with each day and give God glory.

One of our brothers in Erzinjan City was expelled to a refugee camp

Please uphold our Persian friend Brother Said from the City of Erzinjan in your prayers. Because he’s an Iranian citizen, one morning they took him from his home and forced him into a refugee camp.

Many believers in the City of Chorum being baptized

We are so grateful for the Church in Chorum established by our Lord as many miracles are taking place there, baptismals are happening, and a few people have become married in that church. Some new workers have been appointed to help there as everyday people come asking questions about the Gospel. We believe God is growing the church there wonderfully, so please join us in prayer that the neighbors near the building where we meet find God’s peace

The persecution experienced by a young believer in a village just outside of Sinop

Please pray for young Giray living in Sinop as an 18 year old with a family who is very much against her belief in Jesus. When she told them that she believed they punished her terribly and won’t let her attend any of the church services in Sinop. As their house is near to a Forest she can send a picture to us telling us that she is worshiping the Lord from a distance. So she can read an English Bible under a tree with a cross sign on it.

As her family reads no English they don’t know that it’s a Bible, so they don’t stop her from reading it. She had a Turkish Bible but the family tore it up and threw it away.) She can also hear hymns of praise while out by the tree away from the family, so we secretly do our best to meet with her once a month. God is drawing courageous people like this to Himself, for sure, and they teach us more about strong faith in Him.

We continually thank you from our hearts for your part in supporting us in prayer and giving so that we can serve those in need here.

And we happily share some Christmas photos from our Church, photos of help we give Refugees, and photos of sharing the New Testament with others, and if you’d like to see all the photos, you can go on the links below.